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Friday, May 30, 2014

A Snicker of Magic A Splendiforous, Hopeful Tale

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Chances are, you've seen this cover splashed all over the book blogosphere lately.  A Snicker of Magic, a debut novel by Natalie Lloyd, is getting lots of attention.  Not to mention rave reviews.  The story's a little difficult to describe so, once again, I'm going to rely on the professionally-written blurb to do my work for me:
Some people collect baseball cards.  Or hedgehogs.  Or belly button lint.  Not Felicity Pickle.  She collects words—words people are thinking about, or words they want.  Some words glow, and some dance.  Some have wings, and some have zebra stripes.                                                                                                                                                                          
Yet although Felicity has traveled all over the country with her mama and little sister, there's one word she's never seen—home.
                                                                                                                                          Felicity is tired of wandering from place to place.  Making new friends can be harder than fractions ... especially when words like loser and clutzerdoodle fill the classroom every time you open your mouth.
                                                                                                                                          But when her mama's van, the Pickled Jalapeño, rolls into Midnight Gulch, Felicity feels her luck begin to change.  For the first time, she's found a place where she can grow some good memories ... and maybe even make a friend.
                                                                                                                                          That's because Midnight Gulch used to be magical—a town where people could dance up thunderstorms and bake secrets into pie—until a curse drove the magic away.
                                                                                                                                          At least, that's what most people think.
                                                                                                                                          Felicity can tell there's still a snicker of magic in Midnight Gulch.  It hasn't disappeared; it's just been playing hide-and-seek for a very long time.
                                                                                                                                          All she has to do is find the right words to turn it loose.
                                                                                                                                                       

Sounds like a fun story, right?  And it is.  Sure, it gets a little silly at times, but mostly it's a magical, uplifting tale about family, forgiveness, and the power of words.  The characters are as quirky as you might expect.  So is the fictional Tennessee town in which they live.  Readers will relate to the sympathetic Felicity and cheer as she and her BFF, Jonah, seek to find the magic in the people and places around them.  Overall, I enjoyed this one.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Savvy by Ingrid Law and Sway by Amber McRee Turner)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for nothing offensive

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of A Snicker of Magic from the generous folks at Scholastic.  Thank you!

4 comments:

  1. Yay! This book is on my TBR shelf right now. =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your post titles are so catchy! This one sounds adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is one of my top 10 books of the year so far! The way Felicity and the author play with language is wonderful, and the story and characters are just magical. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

    ReplyDelete

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

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